A Productive Conversation

Latest Episodes:

Jeff Harry talks about Play, Flow and Curiosity Nov 03, 2021

Show notes

My book, Productiveness, is now available. It's about the difference between doing more and doing what matters, and how we lost the ability to tell them apart. I'll send the release date the day it's set. Visit https://mikevardy.com/productiveness to learn more and get your copy today.

Jeff Harry combines positive psychology and play to help teams and organizations navigate difficult conversations and assist individuals in addressing their biggest challenges through embracing a play-oriented approach to work.

For his work, Jeff was selected by BambooHR & Engagedly as one of the Top 100 HR Influencers of 2020 and has been featured in the NY Times, Mashable, Upworthy, & Shondaland. Jeff has worked with Google, Microsoft, Southwest Airlines, Adobe, the NFL, Amazon, and Facebook, helping their staff to infuse more play into the day-to-day.

I had a really fun time catching up with Jeff. In this episode we explore rethinking how people work, historical innovators, the power of curiosity and long-term thinking – and John Steinbeck quotes.

Talking Points

Jeff’s definition of play
Building a psychologically safe place for your company
Measuring quality over quantity
Building trust with your staff
How certain environments unlock play and flow
Identifying your play value

Quote

"Play is the joyful act when you forget about time."

Helpful Links

Want to discover some of the books mentioned on the podcast? Check out Scribd, my reading app of choice.

If you enjoyed the episode, please leave a rating and/or review wherever you listened to the episode. Also don't forget to check out all of our podcast sponsors found on our podcast sponsors page.

If you enjoyed the episode, please leave a rating and/or review wherever you listened to the episode. And if you want to have easy access to the archives of the show and ensure you don't miss the new episodes to come then subscribe to the podcast in the app you're using.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Kristoffer Carter talks about Permission, Purpose and Fear Oct 27, 2021

Show notes

Kristoffer Carter is a spiritual teacher at the intersection of consciousness and business. He is the founder of This Epic Life, a website and podcast devoted to conscious living, which has created a daily meditation practice for thousands. He is also an author, international speaker and executive coach. In his latest book ‘Permission to Glow: A Spiritual Guide to Epic Leadership’, he reveals how to lean in to what makes us all ‘glow’.

I had a great time catching up with Kristoffer, and hearing about his relationship with fear. We also spoke about the four types of permission such as feeling ‘the feels’, the power of compounding effects, how to overcome ‘work for work’s sake’ – and some interesting parallels with WrestleMania.

Talking Points

Why we need to give ourselves more permission
The four types of permission
Lessons learnt from wrestlers
Leaning in to your big scary dream
Working with coaches and the power of practising

Quote

"Learn to dance with the ever-presence of fear."

Helpful Links

Want to discover some of the books mentioned on the podcast? Check out Scribd, my reading app of choice.

If you enjoyed the episode, please leave a rating and/or review wherever you listened to the episode. Also don't forget to check out all of our podcast sponsors found on our podcast sponsors page.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Eric Partaker talks about The 3 Alarms Oct 20, 2021

Show notes

Eric Partaker coaches and mentors entrepreneurs and leaders throughout the world, helping them reach peak levels of performance, in both their businesses and lives. He draws from his world-class work experiences at McKinsey, Skype, and Chilango, cutting-edge research and behavioral science from Stanford University, and the approaches and techniques used in the worlds of elite sports and the military – areas where peak performance is key.

In this conversation, we uncover some key insights from his latest book ‘The 3 Alarms: A Simple System to Transform Your Health, Wealth, and Relationships Forever’. We also discuss peak performance traps, visual reminders, Maslow’s hierarchy of needs – and the cost of a plane landing in an emergency.

Talking Points

What Eric discovered from his near-death experience
The IPA triggers
What we mean by ‘antifragile’
The power of the words we use and how identity drives behavior
What the superhero version of you looks like
Eric’s Three Alarms

Quote

"In some shape or form, you’re already doing ‘The Thing’."

Helpful Links

Want to discover some of the books mentioned on the podcast? Check out Scribd, my reading app of choice.

If you enjoyed the episode, please leave a rating and/or review wherever you listened to the episode. Also don't forget to check out all of our podcast sponsors found on our podcast sponsors page.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Pamela Slim talks about the Widest Net Oct 13, 2021

Show notes

Pamela Slim is an author, community builder, consultant and former corporate director of training and development at Barclays Global Investors. Since 2005, Pam has advised thousands of entrepreneurs as well as companies serving the small business market such as Infusionsoft, Progressive Insurance and Prezi.

In her latest book, The Widest Net, Pam explains how to build strong diverse relationships, identify and connect with new partners, expand markets and find new customers in places you may never have considered. It’s been a long time coming having Pam join the show. Join us as we discuss stress-testing a framework, the always/ never list, books tours – and unintended puns.

Talking Points

Putting together the Widest Net framework
Pam’s variation of the customer avatar exercise
Understanding your ecosystem
The Accordion principle and setting boundaries
Beginning a business with a mission statement
Fostering the right business relationships
Finding your ‘Peanut Butter and Jelly’ partners

Quote

"Running a business is always a team sport."

Helpful Links

Want to discover some of the books mentioned on the podcast? Check out Scribd, my reading app of choice.

If you enjoyed the episode, please leave a rating and/or review wherever you listened to the episode. Also don't forget to check out all of our podcast sponsors found on our podcast sponsors page.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Lisa Erickson talks about the Art and Science of Meditation Oct 06, 2021

Show notes

Lisa Erickson is an energy worker, writer, and meditation teacher specializing in women’s energetics and sexual trauma healing. She has trained in multiple contemplative traditions and energy healing modalities, and is certified in mindfulness meditation instruction, kundalini activation, and trauma sensitivity.

I found Lisa's new book ‘The Art and Science of Meditation’ as such a powerful resource. It guides you through ways to overcome common obstacles, easy-to-understand explanations of classic spiritual texts, guidance on choosing meditation teachers and retreats, and much more. In our conversation we explore how to build a sustainable meditation practice, how to find a style that suits you, the health benefits, walking habits – and doing nothing for 60 seconds.

Talking Points

Why meditation is such a valuable practice
Setting realistic goals and the power of micro-meditation
The parallels with diet and nutrition
The role of consistency when building new habits
Mixing up your meditation styles
Overcoming the myth of ‘conquering’ meditation
Why chakra meditation is Lisa’s go-to practice
Guided meditations and apps
The role of supplements

Quote

"Trust that change is happening."

Helpful Links

Want to discover some of the books mentioned on the podcast? Check out Scribd, my reading app of choice.

If you enjoyed the episode, please leave a rating and/or review wherever you listened to the episode. Also don't forget to check out all of our podcast sponsors found on our podcast sponsors page.

And if you want to have easy access to the archives of the show and ensure you don't miss the new episodes to come then subscribe to the podcast in the app you're using.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Perry Marshall talks about Detox, Declutter, Dominate Sep 29, 2021

Show notes

Endorsed in FORBES and INC Magazine and has authored eight books, Perry Marshall is one of the most expensive business strategists in the world. At London’s Royal Society he announced the world’s largest science research challenge: the $10 million Evolution 2.0 Prize. His reinvention of the Pareto Principle is published in Harvard Business Review, and his Google book laid the foundations for the $100 billion Pay Per Click industry. He has a degree in Engineering and lives with his family in Chicago.

I found Perry’s latest book ‘Detox, Declutter, Dominate: How to Excel by Elimination’ truly fascinating (it reveals a lot in just 36 pages), so it was great to unpack some of his key insights. In this productive conversation we discuss the elimination mindset, freewriting, email response times, morning walks and written down bucket lists.

Talking Points

The breaking point that lead Perry to write his book ‘Detox, Declutter, Dominate’
The key to Renaissance Time
How to get past “I don’t have time for XYZ”
The two types of work: instructional and creative
Finding out what creates your creative juices
The principle of the $2700 espresso machine
Perry’s morning journal routine

Quote

"Space in your life starts here."

Helpful Links

Want to discover some of the books mentioned on the podcast? Check out Scribd, my reading app of choice.

If you enjoyed the episode, please leave a rating and/or review wherever you listened to the episode. Also don't forget to check out all of our podcast sponsors found on our podcast sponsors page.

And if you want to have easy access to the archives of the show and ensure you don't miss the new episodes to come then subscribe to the podcast in the app you're using.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A/J Jackson talks about Music, Glasses and Color Theory Sep 22, 2021

Show notes

A/J Jackson is an American filmmaker, musician, songwriter, record producer, and the lead singer for the band Saint Motel. From feeling too limited to one color choice with his own eyewear – A/J Jackson took the leap and created interchangeable tinted lenses. He’s now the founder of AVIEW, which helps you experience a new way of wearing glasses where you can swap out colors whenever you feel like it. Colors can affect your mood, productivity, and general sense of well being.

I really enjoyed speaking with A/J Jackson and learning how he maintains his ‘creative muse’. In this episode we discuss how it went from making music to glasses, finding a team of experts to work with, color theory – and the 3D printer at his local library.

Talking Points

Taking on new creative projects
Color theory and its impact on mood and productivity
The meaning behind ‘rose-tinted glasses’
The power of changing your working environment
Experimenting with hyper-scheduling
On being a disciplined artist

Quote

"By chunking your time, you’re starting afresh each time."

Helpful Links

Want to discover some of the books mentioned on the podcast? Check out Scribd, my reading app of choice.

If you enjoyed the episode, please leave a rating and/or review wherever you listened to the episode. Also don't forget to check out all of our podcast sponsors found on our podcast sponsors page.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Mike Michalowicz talks about Getting Different Sep 15, 2021

Show notes

Mike Michalowicz is an American author, entrepreneur, and lecturer. He is currently an author of seven business books published by Penguin Random House, including ‘Profit First’ and ‘Clockwork’, and is the former host of the "Business Rescue" segment for MSNBC's Your Business. It’s an honor and a privilege to have Mike on the show as we get to explore how to truly succeed through marketing your business.

We explore how to be in control of your leads, Mike’s ‘DAD’ methodology, being different ‘enough’, plain text emails – and fun houses.

Talking Points

What inspired Mike to write ‘Get Different’
The attitude of experimenting vs planning
How to specify your audience
Being ‘different enough’
Seeking inspiration from other industries
Learn how to instantly analyze your marketing campaigns

Quote

"The creation of new is an improvement of old."

Helpful Links

Want to discover some of the books mentioned on the podcast? Check out Scribd, my reading app of choice.

If you enjoyed the episode, please leave a rating and/or review wherever you listened to the episode. Also don't forget to check out all of our podcast sponsors found on our podcast sponsors page.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Stephen Warley talks about Self-Awareness, Reflecting and Life Skills Sep 08, 2021

Show notes

I’m excited to finally have my good friend Stephen Warley on the show today. He founded Life Skills That Matter in 2016, a platform that teaches individuals how to create a business that is in alignment with their values, needs and abilities. He is also the host of the Life Skills That Matter Podcast, where he has interviewed 500+ people who have made the transition from employment to working for themselves... and all the different ways they’ve done it.

Tune in to this productive conversation as we discuss scheduling time for reflection, journaling, creating healthy habits, what Stephen does to slow down – and learning how to ski.

Talking Points

How to cultivate self-awareness
Stephen’s workshop at the BIG Ready 2021
Scheduling time for reflection and meditation
Finding activities to stimulate mindfulness
Building habits before tools
Creating a retreat for yourself

Quote

"Are your habits taking you where you want to go?"

Helpful Links

Want to discover some of the books mentioned on the podcast? Check out Scribd, my reading app of choice.

If you enjoyed the episode, please leave a rating and/or review wherever you listened to the episode. Also don't forget to check out all of our podcast sponsors found on our podcast sponsors page.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jeff Brown talks about Reading To Lead Sep 01, 2021

Show notes

Jeff Brown was a reluctant reader at school, but he fell in love with it when he had to learn more about marketing in his career. Jeff is a podcaster, mentor, and speaker, with a mission to help people like you bridge the gap between intention and implementation. He does this primarily through public speaking, mastermind groups, membership platforms, courses, coaching, and consulting.

I’m excited to learn more about his latest book, which co-authored with Jesse Wisnewski, ‘Read to Lead: The Simple Habit That Expands Your Influence and Boosts Your Career’. In this productive conversation we explore book clubs, speed reading, being a co-author, the free library movement – and why there will always be a place for books. Be sure to check out the links for all the books we mentioned in this interview!

Talking Points

Jeff’s relationship with reading
The co-authoring experience
Reading books digitally versus physically
When to keep or let go of books
The books Jeff re-reads the most
Interesting findings from writing the book
A process for skim reading
The benefits of having a book club

Quote

"We are all lifelong learners."

Helpful Links

Want to discover some of the books mentioned on the podcast? Check out Scribd, my reading app of choice.

If you enjoyed the episode, please leave a rating and/or review wherever you listened to the episode. Also don't forget to check out all of our podcast sponsors found on our podcast sponsors page.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices